Loving Your Neighbor. Suddenly! Trust in the Lord. Myth Busters. Update.

Ok! Ok! I know you are sick of it, but here are a few thoughts, some might be a comfort to you:

Loving Your Neighbor in the Age of Coronavirus

“Coronavirus is currently changing daily life for everyone. To younger people, it can seem like a big frustrating overreaction. But here’s another perspective to consider.
To everyone under the age of 70 years old:
The coronavirus pandemic has impacted all of our lives. We’ve all had to make sacrifices—and possibly will have to make more in the future—as our world struggles to find its way through this global crisis.

Sacrificing for others

The COVID-19 disease will likely have little effect on you—even if you contract it. So the sacrifices you make, the inconveniences you endure, are not really for you.
The greatest danger to human life this disease poses is to older people, senior citizens with whom you may have very little contact on a daily basis. 
As one of those seniors (I’m in my 70s), I’d like to offer a different perspective on the current crisis. It seems true that younger people who contract the virus have relatively mild symptoms, and in some cases may not even realize they are infected.

Overreaction to a virus no worse than the flu?

Many people, especially those with little or no medical training, have cited the relatively low death rate among younger people to say that this virus is really no worse than the common flu.
If that were the whole story, they might have a valid point. We could even cite the number of deaths worldwide from the virus as further proof of its limited severity, though those figures are changing so rapidly that it’s hard to make any argument from them at this point.
It’s easy to understand why a young, healthy person (with little to fear) would feel frustrated with all of the current restrictions on normal life we are facing because of this pandemic. Limiting entertainment, sports, recreation, dining out, and many other social events seems like an overreaction for such a mild disease.

Seeing faces, not numbers

The perspective I wish to offer is a little different. I am not young and healthy any longer. While the World Health Organization put the overall mortality rate at 3.4 percent globally, in my demographic, the fatality rate is around 8 percent. That means for every dozen 70-something people who contract this easily transmissible disease, one will die. (A recent report says the fatality rate is 3.6 percent for those between the ages of 60-69, but 14.8 percent for those over 80.)
If one out of 12 is going to die from this disease over the next few months, I’m not losing numbers, I’m losing friends.When I consider that figure, I honestly don’t see numbers. I see faces. I hear names. I could easily list several dozen people who are my friends and family who are in that demographic—my wife, my in-laws, many of the friends I have had since the days when we were young and healthy together.
If one out of 12 is going to die from this disease over the next few months, I’m not losing numbers, I’m losing friends. I’m losing a part of my life. For all I know, it may be my name that gets listed among the casualties before this pestilence has run its deadly course.
Here’s the point: If everyone makes the sacrifices today, some of those lives may be saved tomorrow. Perhaps it can help us to put names and faces on those lives instead of numbers. Whose life could you save by your sacrifices today?

“Love your neighbor” in the age of coronavirus

What we are seeing in all of this is the operation of an ancient principle, often ignored or minimized in modern society. In the Bible, God is recorded as telling His people to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18).
Are we just “believers”—as long as that belief doesn’t inconvenience us or hinder our ability to do what we want, when we want?The same instruction is quoted seven times in the New Testament. In addition to Jesus’ statements, the apostle Paul says that phrase summarizes the entirety of God’s law (Galatians 5:14). James refers to this principle as “the royal law” (James 2:8).
Throughout history, “love your neighbor as yourself” has always been easier said than done. What about when your neighbor is not so nice? What if he or she doesn’t look like you or sound like you or believe like you? What about when you don’t even know your neighbors? What about when they are just statistics in a news story?
That’s when loving your neighbor becomes a test of what we really are. Are we genuine followers of Jesus Christ and His Word? Or are we just “believers”—as long as that belief doesn’t inconvenience us or hinder our ability to do what we want, when we want?
You probably don’t know me, but: I’m the neighbor.
I’m part of the population that is threatened with an 8 percent death rate. I’m older and much more vulnerable than I would like to be, and I’m in need of your willingness to sacrifice your convenience to give me a better chance to survive this crisis.

Thank you for your sacrifices

To those of you diligently doing that: On behalf of all us 70-somethings, thank you. Your sacrifice means more than you will ever know.
And if you happen to be one of those complaining because of the current limits this has posed to your freedom, well, this may be the big test of whether your belief and character are genuine or just a nice slogan. I believe it’s clear what your response should be, but that choice is still entirely yours.”   From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/life/blog/loving-your-neighbor-in-the-age-of-coronavirus/?
To learn more about how to “love your neighbor as yourself,” read “How to Be a Good Neighbor.”
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Suddenly the world changed.
New York now sleeps
Mickey Mouse went on vacation✈
The NBA said NO
The toilet paper is a treasure to find (Used as chips in poker game) 
No more vacation ✈️
We learned to wash our hands
Kisses and hugs are not daring, today they are contagious
Sanity gave way to hysteria and panic
And a virus crowns as if it were the owner of the world ...
But it is not so, and there is something that the coronavirus will not change! It is the love ❤ and the mercy of God ... that will remain for eternity! May our faith not diminish. Let's not stop praying He is in control!
I know so! And you? ❤ God is good! All the time!
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This is what Brother Oscar from my previous church in Willis wrote to the congregation:
“My dear church family,
I pray that you and your family find yourself blessed and at peace in this time of concern that not only this nation is going through, but the world.
I am being asked by some of you, and others, my opinion on the Covid-19 Pandemic. A pandemic is an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects an exceptionally high proportion of the population. 
First and foremost, as our Pastor mentioned, we must have complete faith in our heavenly Father YHWH through our Lord and Savior Yeshua. He is the One who is in control of all things and the One that holds our lives in His hands. We are merely on a journey, in His service, awaiting the glorious return of our Lord and Savior.
There is nothing wrong with having a “godly concern” over something, there is however, everything wrong with “worrying” about something. Scripture teaches us not to worry.
Philippians 4:6-7   Do not be anxious (worry) about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
With that said, I am in full agreement to do our due diligence and take all necessary precautions that local, state and federal government is asking its citizens to follow, Scripture teaches to submit to government:
Romans 13:1-2 and following says...
13 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves...
Scripture also teaches that we should not tempt God:
Matthew 4:7  Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ”
When our government is asking us to do something that does not go against God's will, we are to obey.
It is imperative to try to nip problems in the bud and not allow them to blossom, which is what our government is attempting to do.
I am of the opinion that short term sacrifice to avert long term suffering is prudent and wise.
As I'm sure, most of you have been doing your own research, a few pointers (among many) I have found is:
The Covid-19 virus mortality rate is 10 times higher than the flu mortality rate as of today.  Mortality rate numbers will inevitably change as time goes on and more is known.
The flu has been around for about 2000 years and the human body has developed some limited type of immunity or resistance towards it.
The human body has not had any time to develop any immunity or resistance to this new virus.
Of course, anything can be found on the Internet to prove a point one way or another, but it's best to play it safe now than to be sorry later.
I believe that Non believers and God's people may be paying a consequence for disobedience towards Him with this virus, therefore, He is testing us, his people, so we ourselves, can see how we will react.
John 14:27  Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Proverbs 3:5-6  Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
This is excellent closing Scripture to answer all of your questions.
You are all in my prayers, God bless you all.  Be safe, be clean and most of all, be blessed.
Brother Oscar”.
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Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public: Myth busters

Please look at these myth busters, there are too many to show on this page.
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/myth-busters

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Update
I sincerely pray that you and yours are all well.  Please take care of your critters, don’t go leave them at a shelter where they will be put to sleep because they can’t have Adoption Days anymore.  Though I suppose that will be better than starving to death if you can’t get food for them. 
We had the Bible studies on Friday morning and Sunday afternoon as usual, but that was all changed by Tuesday.  The apartment management locked the doors to the Community Room and the outside door too, so only the few who have a key can even get into the building to do laundry.  The Fitness Programs, Bingo and St. Paddy’s Day lunch were all cancelled.
When I went to Physical Therapy on Wednesday, they screened me with questions before they would even see me.  When I stopped at the grocery store the few that were there, were keeping their distance from each other.
Now, there is an order in TX where there can’t be more than 10 people together at any one time.  Fortunately for me, I am in a county which has no one infected so far.
On the Sabbath, our Pastor live-streamed the service through FaceBook, so my un-computerized neighbor who attends that church too, came here with her dog, and we watched it together.  I even found a website that has hymns with a piano and the lyrics, too.
Not knowing that physically going to church would be canceled, I had made a big.Cheesy-Egg-Hashbrown-Casserole.  We enjoyed some of that, and the rest will be frozen for another day.